TBILISI, October 19 – Georgia’s Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili told an international gathering of finance officials on Sunday that the country has managed to sustain solid economic growth despite global geopolitical turbulence, positioning itself as a reliable bridge between East and West.
Speaking at a joint meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Caucasus and Central Asia with International Monetary Fund Deputy Managing Director Bo Li, Khutsishvili said Georgia’s long-term strategy focuses on strengthening its role as a hub for regional connectivity and trade.
He noted that between 7 and 8 percent of Georgia’s GDP is currently allocated to capital spending, a level comparable to fast-developing economies, funding large-scale infrastructure projects such as the East-West Highway, new electricity transmission lines, and other strategic investments.
Khutsishvili said Georgia has also modernized public services, expanded digital taxation systems, and improved customs efficiency. “Georgia is now part of the EU’s New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), has trade agreements with the European Union, China, and in total with 47 countries and customs unions, and has double-taxation treaties with 58 countries,” he said.
According to Khutsishvili, these reforms have delivered measurable results: Georgia ranks third globally for regulatory quality, fourteenth for public services, and second for operational efficiency under the new B-Ready index, which will replace the World Bank’s former Ease of Doing Business ranking. The country also ranks first worldwide for budget transparency, he added.
Over the past five years, Georgia’s economy has grown by an average of around 9 percent per year, supported by stable inflation and a near doubling of per capita GDP. The minister said the structure of the economy is evolving, with expanding exports of education, IT, and tourism services contributing to growth.
Khutsishvili also highlighted progress on key transport corridors connecting Georgia with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, saying the completion of the final sections of major highways would further boost regional logistics.
He pointed to joint projects with Azerbaijan to streamline cross-border procedures under a “one-stop” model, as well as preparations to expand power transmission lines and construct new undersea electricity and digital cables across the Black Sea. Georgia is also investing in a new deep-sea port and planning the construction of a new international airport.
“The Middle Corridor has always had its place,” Khutsishvili said, referring to the trans-Caspian transport route linking Central Asia with Europe via the South Caucasus. “For it to become an efficient and stable alternative route, it will require even closer cooperation among South Caucasus and Central Asian countries, along with the continued support of international financial institutions.”
Analysts see Georgia’s Middle Corridor strategy as an attempt to capitalize on shifting global trade flows, as countries seek alternatives to traditional transit routes through Russia. But the government has framed the effort as part of a long-standing policy of integration and connectivity rather than a geopolitical pivot.
